Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithography apparatus, a lithography method, a lithography system, a storage medium, and an article manufacturing method.
Description of the Related Art
Lithography apparatuses form a pattern for processing on a workpiece (substrate) in a lithography step included in steps of manufacturing articles such as semiconductor devices, MEMSs, and the like. An example of lithography apparatuses includes an imprint apparatus that molds an uncured resin on a substrate using a mold so as to form a resin pattern on the substrate. The imprint apparatus employing a photo-curing method firstly coats an imprint material (photocurable resin) on an imprint region (shot region) on a substrate. Next, the resin (uncured resin) is molded by a mold. After the resin is irradiated with light for curing, the substrate is released from the mold, whereby a resin pattern is formed on the substrate. Japanese Patent No. 4185941 discloses a step-and-flash imprint apparatus.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-210992 discloses a cluster-type lithography system that includes a plurality of lithography apparatuses (e.g., exposure apparatuses or imprint apparatuses) and a transfer unit for transferring a substrate or an original to the plurality of lithography apparatuses for the improvement in productivity.
In the conventional lithography step, a coater/developer that performs preprocessing for coating a resist (photosensitizer) on a substrate and post-processing for developing the exposed substrate is used in addition to an exposure apparatus. From the viewpoint of productivity and maintaining cleanliness of a substrate, the coater/developer is typically used while being connected (so-called “in-line connection”) to the exposure apparatus. An imprint apparatus also needs to perform preprocessing for cleaning a substrate, coating an adherence layer on the substrate, and the like prior to forming a pattern on the substrate, the preprocessing apparatus that performs such preprocessing may be used while being connected to the imprint apparatus. In such a case, it is preferable that preprocessing performed by the preprocessing apparatus is carried out immediately before imprint processing performed by the imprint apparatus. The reason for this is that, if dusts are adhered on a substrate upon imprint processing, they may adversely affect a mold or the quality of a pattern for a plurality of imprint regions formed by the mold. This also applies to the case where the adherence layer may change with time. The reasons why it is preferable to perform preprocessing immediately before imprint processing may also be applicable to other lithography apparatuses.
Conventionally, one exposure apparatus is typically in-line connected to one coater/developer. In contrast, there may be a case where the throughput (the number of substrates processed per unit time) of preprocessing apparatuses is higher than that of lithography apparatuses. In this case, so-called a cluster-type lithography apparatus which is connected to one preprocessing apparatus and includes a plurality of lithography apparatuses (or a plurality of lithography units) may be required.
In such a cluster-type lithography apparatus, it is preferable that a plurality of substrates in the same lot is processed by the same apparatus (unit). If such processing is performed, the substrates in the same lot can be processed under the same condition, resulting in the ease of subsequent inspection, processing, and the like. However, it is preferable that a cluster-type lithography apparatus for performing such processing processes a plurality of lots in parallel from the viewpoint of productivity.
On the other hand, it is advantageous to perform preprocessing immediately before lithography processing as close as possible as described above. Thus, in consideration of the yield and productivity of the cluster-type lithography apparatus, it is preferable that the preprocessing apparatus processes a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots in a timely fashion and then provides them to the lithography apparatus in a timely fashion.